Method for manufacturing an amorphous metal part

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a micromechanical component made of a first material, the first material being a material that can become at least partially amorphous, the method including: a) providing a mold made of a second material, the mold including a cavity forming the negative of the micromechanical component; b) providing the first material and forming the first material in the cavity of the mold, the first material having undergone, at a latest at a time of the forming, treatment allowing the first material to become at least partially amorphous; c) separating the micromechanical component thus formed from the mold.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for manufacturing a component made of a first material, the first material being a metallic material that can become at least partially amorphous, the method comprising:
 a) providing a mold made of a second material, the mold comprising a cavity forming a negative of the component; 
 b) providing the first material and forming the first material in the cavity of the mold, the forming including treatment allowing the first material to become at least partially amorphous; 
 c) separating the component thus formed from the mold; 
 wherein the second material forming the mold has a thermal effusivity from 250 to 2500 J/K/m 2 /s 0.5 , and wherein the treatment allowing the first material to become at least partially amorphous comprises cooling, which is only accomplished owing to effusivity of the mold and only at a mold/gas interface. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of manufacture as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein c) dissolves the mold. 
     
     
       3. The method of manufacture as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first material is submitted to a temperature rise above its melting point, allowing the first material to lose any crystalline structure locally, the rise being followed by cooling to a temperature below its glass transition temperature allowing the first material to become at least partially amorphous, the first material having a critical cooling rate below 15 K/s. 
     
     
       4. The method of manufacture as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first material has a critical cooling rate less than or equal to 10K/s. 
     
     
       5. The method of manufacture as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the forming b) is simultaneous with treatment making the first material at least partially amorphous, by subjecting the first material to a temperature above its melting point followed by cooling to a temperature below its glass transition temperature allowing the first material to become at least partially amorphous, during a casting operation. 
     
     
       6. The method of manufacture as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the forming takes place by injection. 
     
     
       7. The method of manufacture as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the forming takes place by centrifugal casting. 
     
     
       8. The method of manufacture as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the second material is zircon having an effusivity of 2300 J/K/m 2 /s 0.5 . 
     
     
       9. The method of manufacture as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the second material is a plaster consisting predominantly of gypsum and/or silica, having an effusivity between 250 and 1000 J/K/m 2 /s 0.5 .